To Make Pie Crust

In a large bowl or food processor, whisk together kosher salt and all-purpose flour. Add the eight tablespoons of butter and the leaf-lard or shortening.

With a pastry cutter or the food processor on 'pulse', cut the fats and flour together until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Most of the fat should be the size of sweet peas or beans, and larger sized bits of fat are encouraged.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, pour one tablespoon of ice water at a time in and stir with a large rubber spatula or spoon. Stir after each addition of water. Stop adding water when the dough begins to clump together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. It should be slightly, slightly tacky and come together easily. Form the dough into a ball, then divide it into two halves. Flatten each half into 1 inch thick discs. Wrap each dough disc tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour (but they can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days).

To Make Sweet Potato Pie Filling

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. (180 degrees C)

Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hour in the oven on a baking sheet. When done, let cool slightly. Peel the skin off of the potatoes and rice them, with a potato ricer, into a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and homogenous. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt to the creamed butter and sugar. Stir in evaporated milk, then pour the mixture into the riced sweet potatoes in the large bowl. Whisk together or stir with rubber baking spatula until well incorporated and creamy.

To Assemble Pie

Remove one pie crust disk from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a work surface. Roll out the disk from the center outward, lifting crust slightly and rotating it 90 degrees after every few rolls. Lift and dust underside with flour every so often to prevent the pie crust from sticking. Roll dough out to be about 11 to 12 inches, and about ⅛" thick.

Repeat with the other pie crust, then use pie crust cutters to create leaf shapes.

With your rolling pin, roll the flattened pie crust off the work surface to loosely wrap around the pin and carefully it roll out into the pie dish. Trim the edges to ½ inch beyond the lip of your pie dish, then turn the edge under to create the rim. Press the rim against the pan to form an even edge. Use scraps to fill in any tears, thin spots, or holes in the pie crust.

Refrigerate the pie crust for 15 minutes to chill the fats again.

Pour the pie filling into your unbaked pie crust at 350 degrees F. Arrange the pie crust cut outs over the pie filling. Bake the sweet potato pie on the bottom rack of your oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the center of pie is still slightly jiggly and the edges are set. Cool for 2 hours, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.